Neoclassical Geek Revival, a True Old School System

Just bought Zzarchov Kowolski Neoclassical Geek Revival on PDF over at RPG Drivethru. I believe Zz has been running games using his system on Google+ for a while. It's a great home-brew system with a lot of cool additions. To me, Zzarchov's system is what building your own old school system is all about.  If you get a chance pick it up. 

Here's the link, Neoclassical Geek Revival.  It will ask you to allow Adult Content so you can look at the naughty bits.

A Newbie P.O.V.: Advertising Your OSR Product

I am not claiming to be an expert in this field just something I've gone through the past few weeks with my own experince and having been a small business owner from before.  This is just one newb's point of view.

So you're done with your manuscript, you've navigated the process of getting a publisher account and uploading your PDF to RPGNow.  Now what?  It's time to beat feet and let people know about it.  Most of us have blogs to post our product on, but for some of us that is a small audience.  RPGNow has several ways to help get the word out about your product.  After all, they don't make money unless you do.

The first is to send out comp copies.  You can send them out to all their featured reviewers.  One click sends them out to all.  Doesn't mean they will read your offering, but it helps get some reviews on your product started.  Tenkar's Tavern is one of the reviewers so if you're doing an old school product there is at least one that is in the OSR.  In addition to sending comp copies to reviewers you can send out 150 copies to who you want.  You can create your own mailing groups to send these out or just do it individually.  Find some people who would like to review your product and get it to them.  Endorsements are good and may tip the balance of someone who is sitting on the fence of whether to buy it or not.

Another way to promote you product is through RPGNow's page impressions purchased with Publisher Promotional Points (PPP).  PPPs are earned, not bought (or at least I don't think you can buy them).  For each month you have a publisher account you get 10 PPPs.  If you signed an exclusive contract to RPGNow you get an additional 10 PPPs per month.  Then you get 1 PPP per $10 of product you sell.  You take these PPPs and purchase blocks of 2500 page impressions.  You have to choose which site you which to advertise (because RPGNow is one of several connected web markets that are connected).  Since mine was a fantasy RPG product I chose RPGNow and RPGDrive-Thru.

There are two types of page impressions you can purchase.  First is the home page impressions.  So when you or I log on to RPG your product will be featured.  Currently on RPGNow is costs 153 PPPs to purchase this.  I don't have anything near that and probably won't for a while.  And let me tell you those 2500 page impressions sounds like a lot, but they only last a couple days.  The other way you can advertise is the category page impressions.  So if someone chooses fantasy category than your product has a chance of popping up.  This is much cheaper to purchase costing only 18 PPPs. 

I bought the category page impressions.  One block for DriveThruRPG and two blocks from RPGNow.  They have a stat feature that lets you know how many impressions were used and how many times were clicked on it.  My stats are out of 2500 impression on DriveThru 3 people clicked on it.  This is why I didn't bother buying a second block.  Thought it would be better to save for homepage impressions.  On RPGNow I've used 4370 out of 5000 impressions and 18 people have click on it.  A little better, but it means only .41% clicked on it.  I think I'll save for homepage impressions, but it will be difficult to save that many PPPs right now.  Maybe when I get more products out there accumulating sales will I be able to do that.  So as you can see it's not an easy gig.

Probably the best way to get your product out there is send some comp copies out to your friends who will be kind to you in some reviews and send them out to others whose opinions you respect and hopefully have a good enough following to drive some business your way.  In this case if they dislike your product the worst thing you can do is argue with the reviewer.  It doesn't look good and you only end up looking like an ass.  Not everyone is going to like your product and that's cool.  But if enough people are saying the same things of what they dislike you should probably go back to work on it and fix the problem.  Always thank the reviewer either way.  They took their time to go read through your product when they didn't have to.  So even if they thought your product was crap, hopefully they will give details why and you thank them and hope they like the next one better.

I've been fortunate to have been blogging for a while now and got to know a lot of good people on the internet.  So far everyone has been supportive and it's been an exciting time.  Especially when you hear someone used your adventure or supplement and they loved it.  Like I've said in an earlier post, my expectations for my adventures are relatively low, but I plan on to churn out more and have fun with it.  I don't pay my gas bill with my profits.  I'll just get another bag of chips.

Red Box Game Day (or How I Learned to Love the Bomb)

Apparently today is Worldwide D&D Game Day. Specifically D&D Red Box Game Day. I was invited to go to two such events today and passed on them both. I didn't know about this game day until Thursday. Today was be an S&W game I rarely get to attend so when I heard it was going to be D&D day I was disappointed. Kinda like when you've been waiting to watch your favorite TV show and instead its political season and all that's on are empty promises. I guess this post is going to be a bit pessimistic, but I was looking forward to the game.

Nine times out of ten I don't care what system it is. I just like to play. But I just couldn't bring myself to agree to go to the game days today. I've played 4th edition about half a dozen times, have the core books and even bought the 2nd DM's Guide (which is not bad at all), but it's just not a system I enjoy. At all. WoTC is doing what they did to Magic the Gathering, they have a core set of powers (spells), but then keep releasing more and more expansion books (decks) until there are so many that it's difficult to keep up. And difficult to find two players that have the same amount of books. The referee would always have to dictate which rulebooks are allowed in play.

I think with the Red Box they are trying to simplify the game so it's not so overwhelming to new comers. Simplify in rule and cost. I mean think of it, a new person coming into gaming and they stand in front of game shelf and see 2 DM Guides, 2 Players Handbooks, and I think 3 Monster Manuals. Those are just the core books. And each one of them comes in at just under $40. Not to mention all the other books. One thing WotC does is put out product. I guess the Red Box is the solution to this glut of books and overwhelming expense that it would get someone started with D&D.

I'm glad I bought the original core books. I do use them as reference sources now and then, but I would never DM a game of 4th edition and as I started in this blog, I will even pass on a day of gaming if that's what is being played.

So today I am making it my own personal game day. I will use the time to finish a few adventures I am working on using Swords & Wizardry and OSRIC. I need to do something with Labyrinth Lord because I am late to that party but really like the system. So even though I am not gaming today I'll be trying to spark interest in gaming in my own way. Make an adventure. Infuse it with the excitement I have for the game and the excitement I have for a good story.

All you 4th editioners enjoy your game day. Maybe next year I'll crash your party with an Old School gaming day of Swords & Wizardry, OSRIC, Labyrinth Lord...

One Year at the Manor

Yup a year has gone by and I wouldn't have noticed until I saw The Omnipotent Eye blog, A Year with the Eye. I saw I started on the 19th of April.

Part of the reason I started to blog was to get involved with the gaming industry and possibly get a few of my own products out there. I was reluctant because Rob would sent me forum links of conversations going from time to time and it seemed a lot of it was juvenile temper tantrums. Then I did a few guest posts on Bat in Attic and saw the blogs had a different attitude. There was still some drama, but much less than on the forums.

A year later I didn't reach any goals of putting out any products and I would love to blame my new job, but that wouldn't be honest. I just didn't apply ass to seat and type enough. As Rob could tell you I have dozens upon dozens of half-finished products. Those don't sell very well. But blogging has helped me try and do something each day. Write a blog that may be just short and goofy or a full blown article where I did research and had my wife edit it.

So in the next year of blogging I hope to finish a few products and get them out there. To continue to put out a blog at least every other day, more if I can do it. I hope to help Rob get more of his Majestic Wilderlands out there. Oh, and as a side note, if you are over on Bat in the Attic and bug him about when his adventure Scourge of the Demon Wolf will be out. He missed his March deadline.

Thanks to everyone who has participated by commenting and/or joining my blog. It's been fun watching the OSR develop and all the great things that are coming out of it. I look forward to another year of blogging and seeing what else I can learn along the way.

Monster and Treasure Assortment

This was one of the first non-core book, non-adventure module gaming supplement I purchased. You've got the great Tramper cover art and other small pieces woven in. Basically this is a two sets of random tables divided between monster and treasure. The title wouldn't make much sense otherwise. And each set is divided into nine different levels. Formatting wise, what I love, is they wasted no space. Even the backside of the front and back covers are used.

I used this book to help populate my 'folder modules' (I used Manila folders and would staple my map to the inside and some information about the dungeon on the other so when we would play I would use it like a regular module from TSR). I would draw a dungeon on graph paper, number the rooms and then start rolling. All the treasure and monster tables use 100 entries in each. No duplication or fudging with saying on a roll of 44-48 1-6 Orcs. Each one is assigned one number.

An example room would be this. I'm going to use a 5th level table for both monster and treasure. I rolled a 88 for the monster so that gives me 1-4 Giant Rattlesnakes. And I rolled a 17 for the treasure giving me 1 jewelry worth 3000gp. Now in the front of the book are three tables for how to present the treasure. One is what is the treasure contained in, the next what is it guarded by (traps) and the last one is what is it hidden by. The contained and hidden b are d10 and the guarded by is a d16. So let's see what's going on with this treasure. The treasure is contained in an iron trunk, trapped with spring darts firing up from the top of the container and is hidden under a loose stone in the floor. Of course you may only want to roll on one or two of theses tables, but its fun to roll on all three and keep what you like.

I know I stocked a lot of dungeons using this book. It is simplistic and will make dungeons that have no rhyme or reason, but that's okay. It may spark some great ideas by positioning a couple of things near one another you would have normally never attempted.

Issue 13 of OD&Dities

After some debate on what to buy next I decided on the one I was sure I wanted to take a look at, Issue 13 of OD&Dities. I'm sure you've all seen it hanging out at the #1 spot on RPGNow for the past couple of weeks. In the editorial R.E.B. Tongue plans to release OD&Dities monthly. Being an Old School oriented magazine he has decided to use Labyrinth Lord as the default system.

A few notes on the magazine itself. Issue 13 comes in at 24 pages with a price tag of two silver pieces or two bucks for the uninitiated. But wait! It's DM week and it's 25% off. So this happy read always glad to indulge in a sale got it for only 15 copper pieces or a buck fifty for the uninitiated. I don't even know what that means so I'll stop. The art is from one of my favorite sources The Forge Studios. The art is minimal, but meshed in well with the text. The layout is simple and clean. Easy to read without any clutter. And since there are no big black spaces it is printer friendly.

Okay, now let's get to the articles. And I have to say the name of the first article is really what got me interested in seeing what was in there pages. Building the Keep on the Borderlands is an advice article on how a GM can handle players building a stronghold, what obstacles they might run into and should run into. There is a lot of solid advice here that can help build a storyline/plotline around the building of that fortress, tower, keep, or castle. This is a no crunch zone. You'll find no stats here just advice to consider. I liked it and will be placing it in my GM notes for later use.

The next article is a follow up to the first, Designing the Keep on the Borderlands. An interesting read, but I didn't feel it was as strong as the initial article. There were some interesting thoughts I would have liked to see more details developed. Again, no crunch here. This is another advice article to assist a GM who has players wishing to build their own dream home.

Touch of Class: The Illusionist. This is a rehashing of the illusionist class for Labyrinth Lord. I have to start off with my own bias is I've always found illusionist boring. With that said this article didn't change my view on them. I think if you write an article about a class the reader should come away thinking, wow this is cool I want to play this. It is however a great template for an OD&D campaign for those who enjoy the class more than I do.

Man's Best Friend is my favorite piece in the magazine and one I will definitely be scarfing for my GM Notebook. Lots of good crunch on different types of dogs, training times and costs and by the gods there is a good equipment list so you can pimp out your dog. I think dogs get overlooked a lot in campaigns when I think they would be utilized much more. If a party has a couple of war/guard dogs with them as the travel through the wilderness no one needs to stand guard those little pups a detectors of damn near anything. This article is worth the price of admission alone.

Surviving the DM's Wrath: Party Formation I thought was the weakest entry. Basic advice that anyone who has been playing for more than a couple of month would know already. It discusses the strengths and weaknesses of the classes and which classes are better for small party. Everything in the article is on the mark, but it's just been said many times before. I guess I would have liked to have seen a different approach to the article. Such as example parties that are missing a class and what monsters or situations they would be weak against.

And the next article is for all you magic item junkies out there, Magical Miscellany: The Rings of Altar Perraine. There is a short backstory in the beginning about Altar which was good, but I would have liked to have read about how he got the rings or made them included. There are three rings and all of them have interesting effects. They are no simple ring of this or that they are rings that do stuff. I won't go into detail you'll have to buy the magazine to find out what they do, but I like them.

And the final entry is Mr. B's Last Word. A bit of a rant about how it sucks to be 1st level. Again I was hoping for something a little different. I was hoping for a fire rising rant against the Xvart or Xorn or any monsters that begin with X. But in the end it tried to make me feel special and I don't like that. I don't want to be special I just want my pizza delivered on time and my pops cold. I think this could be a fun article in the future as long as it stays away from being didactic.

Finally estimation is it had highs and lows for me, but over all I thought Issue 13 of OD&Dities was excellent. The stuff I mentioned that wasn't for me you might find rocks your world. For the price tag of two dollars (or if you by it this weekend you can get it for $1.50) I think it's a no brainer. Zombies will buy it. Go to RPGNow and get a copy.

Brave Halfling Publishing Releasing the White Box and Why I Bought a Copy

BHP announced the boxes are made and shipping will begin. I've always been a fan of getting things in the mail. A bit of a thrill. This little box set has generated some excitement, something needed in the last half of winter. One of the reasons I purchased a copy from the first run (I was a quick clicker) is I prefer print versions. PDFs are great, but I much prefer taking a hard copy with me and browsing through it at lunch or on the couch or where ever. Another reason is I like to support products from the OSR movement. I haven't been disappointed yet. I think the reason why these products turn out great is the creators are gamers first, business person is further down the line. So when they put out a product they are thinking how can I make this better? What would I want in this product? Even though I have several sets of gaming dice I'm loving getting another set in the box. How many gamers do you know who carry around dice bags (most of them were Crown Royal Whiskey bags in my day) with dozens of the same dice? Can a gamer have too many dice? Thanks to John for putting so much hard work into putting this together. I hope you didn't have to use too many vacation days.

On the horizon Rob Conley is planning on putting out his adventure Scourge of the Demon Wolf. An excellent adventure I helped playtest. I keep yelling at Rob to finish so we can get it into edits. James Raggi is producing his own box set for his own version of old school fantasy weirdness. Again, smart man, add a set of dice and it's like frying bacon for dogs. You get a gamers attention. He's been detailing the process of creating the box set on his blog and it's interesting to read what he is going through, especially since he is in Finland. Michael Curtis will be doing a follow up on his Stonehell Dungeon which I purchased a copy. Not only is it a interesting adventure, but there are some innovative design ideas I've enjoyed.

I'm sure there are more, but I've run out of time. Time to go to work and think about the One-Page dungeon entry I've finally got an idea for. Have a good Wednesday folks.

Old School Goodness

After work I stopped at the post office and two packages from Lulu waited for me. OSRIC rules in one package and Monsters of Myth and the one I am most interested in is Stonehell Dungeon. I have never been a fan of mega dungeons, but Michael Curtis's dungeon caught my interest. I've been a fan of his blog for a while so I thought I would give a look. I plan on doing a review on it in a later blog. So for now I am going to chill out and enjoy my Old School Goodness.

The New Year Spending Begins

Yesterday on the 2nd I ordered the White Box from Brave Halfling Publishing. For $25.95 its a very good price, but with the additional $10 shipping it is about what I would pay. I know in the past shipping costs have tipped the scale whether I would buy an item or not. This time I thought the value of the product was worth the shipping.

Today, I was browsing on the OSR storefront on Lulu and bought three items. I got a copy of OSRIC (the economy version), Monsters of Myth and Michael Curtis's Stonehell Dungeon. I continue educating myself with the different systems, this time OSRIC. As far as Stonehell Dungeon is concerned, I've been a big fan of Michael's blog so I figured it was a sure thing. The benefit of getting guilt free Christmas money that allows you to splurge on a few items.

I'll also throw out another plug for Rob's Suppliment VI The Majestic Wilderlands. If you haven't got a copy of this yet please do so. I am bias, but I believe its a great product for a great price.

2010 is starting out strong with my OSR purchases. I'm looking forward to all the independent products promised in resolutions blogs. I'm going to hold you to them people. I hope to squirt out a couple products here and there myself to pay for my compulsive gaming purchases. Here's to 2010 and to making it a golden year for gaming.

Unearthing a Treasure

I dug through some of my gaming things and unearthed a booklet I hadn't seen in years; Apothecary on the Street of Dreams (AotSoD) written by Bob Liddil. The red cover has a sketch of a skull mortar and bone pestle that demands attention. When I saw it started with a short story, I groaned. For some reason game fiction is lousy most of the time. But I was happy to discover Bob Liddil writes a good story.

Part 1 is titled 'Tales'. It is a single story that provides background of the sinister mind that created the magics in Part 2. Griswald Grimm provides 30 interesting concoctions in Part 2. Each concoction is given a full page of detail including suggested prices and read the special properties section because some of these salves, ointments, or potions have some interesting side effects.

What I like about AotSoD is it gives the art of alchemy a personality. It's not just a simple you find two healing potions. There is a potency and danger in Griswald Grimm's designs. It gives depth to a part of the game that is often glossed over.

Part 3 is another story of Griswald Grimm and his apprentice Fleet O' Foot.

The final section, although it is not labeled Part 4, but rather The Karnuth Manuscripts. This is probably my favorite section because it describes books that contain powerful formulas. One manuscript teaches non-magic user how to throw I fireball and is noted to have been banned by the Wizard's Guild National Committee. Griswald even includes his own book in there (AotSoD). This is a great resource to make libraries more interesting.

The other feature of this book that I like is it is system neutral. There are no giant stat blocks wasting precious space, just a lot of good writing and fun. If you are a collector or need something to jazz up the alchemical side of your game Bob Liddil has already come up with some great ideas. And since my rediscovery of his book I will be implementing some of the ideas into my campaign.

Here is a link to Bob Liddil's Digitropolis webpage.

Meet Whimpy. The Magic d20.

Gamers are a super superstitious bunch especially with their dice. Whimpy is the elder statesmen of my dice. He was the first d20 I owned and he's still going strong 30 years later. I don't remember how he got his name. That memory is lost in the fog. But here is the thing, even if I had a hundred attacks in one round I would rather roll Whimpy a hundred times rather than roll a hundred d20s at once. He's my magic d20. Whimpy has the ability to roll a 20 when I am in desperate need of one. He loves mixing it up. If I need a critical hit all I need to do is ask. But there is a catch. Like most magical items, this one has a drawback. Whimpy can't make a saving throw to save my life. Completely useless. Whimpy has no interest in the defensive side of things.

Through the years I have gravitated toward GURPS and lost touch with Whimpy. Only six siders need apply at Steve Jackson Games. Whimpy waited patiently in the darkness of the drawer along with all the other four, eight and twelve siders. With the new excitement stirring around an Old School revival Whimpy has come into light once again. Even though his corners are a little rounder, his colors are chipped and fading he still manages to assist me in striking down foes with a thunderous roll. But please, oh please, keep that Finger of Death away from me.